There are different kinds of tiles we could use in our house. They can be applied not only on the floors and walls, but also the ceiling. Ceramic tile is the oldest type and it is basically made from baked clay. Even in modern houses, they are still used in bathrooms for floors and walls. Plastic tiles are also affordable and they can be used for ceilings and walls. Ceramic tiles can be moved out to different parts of the house. Many houses with contemporary designs often use counter work tops in the kitchen and the living room walls could also use ceramic tiles. With special waterproof adhesive, it is possible to put tiles on any suitable smooth surface. To set these tiles in place, we won’t need to use cement or wire lath. Plastic tiles are also available in different colors, patterns and sizes. There are two variants of plastic tiles, the flexible ones are usually made of vinyl, while the rigid ones could be made from polystyrene.

Both variants of plastic tiles can be applied in the same manner, although some flexible tiles can be glued. Some plastic tiles have self-adhesive layer on the back and we would need only to moisten it before putting them on the floors or walls. Some metal tiles could add great industrial look inside our house and the more affordable ones are those made from aluminium. Some metal tiles can be bent easily to match the shape of our walls or floors. There are things to consider before we install tiles for the floors and walls. First of all, the surfaces should be true and level. They must be free from foreign objects and excess moisture. Some areas of the house could be exposed frequently to running water, such as rain water. For this reason, we should make sure that not only the tiles can withstand continuous water exposure, it should also resist the growth of algae and fungi that can make the tile more slippery. Tiles we put in the exterior should be properly textured, so they won’t be too slippery. Before tiling, we should install the top row and try to establish a level line. In many cases, we need to cut the tiles at the last row and this row should be less visible and covered by appliance and other objects.

We should also prepare commercial grout and it is usually fine white powder. It should have the consistency of heavy cream when we mix it with specific amount of water. After mixing it with water, we should let it stand for 15 minutes and add a bit more water before using it. We can apply the grout by hand wearing rubber gloves, squeegee or sponge. Whatever we do, we should try to fill all the joints completely. We could also achieve professional finish using the handle of a used toothbrush. We could force more grout into the joints and cleaning it should be simple. As an example, we could use a damp cloth or sponge to remove any excess growth. For polishing, we could use dry cloth to remove dried, grout dust around the joints. The grout may set properly if we wet it down regularly with sponge.